Machine for making tufted fabrics.



No. 686,738. Patented Nov. I9, I90].

J. KASCHENBACH.

MACHINE FOR MAKING TUFTED FABRICS.

, (Application filed Mar. 2, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-$heet I.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR I ATTORNEY THE NORRIS vzrzns co. Pumauma, wumucvon.u. c.

Patented Nov.- l9, l90l.

J. KASCHENBACH. MACHINE FOR MAKING TUFTED FABRICS.

(Application filed Mar. 2 1900.)

3 Shegts$haet 2.

(No Model.)

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

ATTQRNEY- ma NORRIS warms co moron-mo" wnsnmurom a c No. 686,738.Patented NOV. I9, I90l.

J. KASCHENBACH.

MACHINE FOR MAKING TUFTED FABRICS.

(Application filed Mar. 2, 1900.) '(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR ATTO R N EY m: ND

am: PETERS col PNOTOLITMOY, wmnmcron. u c,

v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

JOHN KASCIIENBACH, OF WVILKESBARRE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFTO CHRISTIAN S. E. SPOERL, OF WILKESBARRE, PENNSYL- VANIA.

MACHINE FOR MAKING TUFTED FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 686,738, dated November19, 1901.

Application filed March 2, 1900. Serial No. 7,048. (No model.)

To all whom, Lt may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN KASCHENBACH, a citizen of the United States,residing at \Vilkesbarre, in the county of Luzerne and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMachines for Making Tufted Fabrics, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in the class of rotarytufting-machines of which that illustrated in the United States PatentNo. 622,901, granted to O. S. E. Spoerl April 11, 1899, is an example;and the important objects of the invention are to provide againstdistortion of the machine under heavystrains, to provide an improvedbutton feeding and setting mechanism, and to provide a washerfeedingmechanism.

In the accompanying drawings, which illus trate an embodiment of theinvention, Figure 1 is aside elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a frontor end elevation of the machine as seen from the left in Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a fragmentary vertical section taken in the plane of the drum-axis atline m in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical transverse sectionthrough the drums at x in Fig. 2, but on a somewhat larger scale thanthe principal views. tail View of the ratchet mechanism, the sec tionbeing at line in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail plan view of thebuttonfeeding device. Figs. 7, S, and 9 are sectional detail views ofthe clenching mechanism on a relatively large scale. Figs. 10 and 11 aresimilar views of another slightly different form of the button-clenchingmechanism.

1 is a strong frame of any kind, but preferably of metal, for supportingthe mechanism, and 2 is the fixed bed of the machine in said frame.Extending across the space between the sides of the frame 1 androtatively mounted in the latter are the tufting-drum A and the lower oranvil drum B. These drums are hollow, with large tubular journals 3 and4, respectively, as best seen in Figs. 3 and 4:, and the drums aregeared together by gears 3 and 4. On the driving-shaft 5 in the lowerpart of the frame are tight and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional de-'loose pulleys 6 and eccentrics 7 7, each of which operates, through arod 8, a hook-pawl 9, Fig. 5, which engages a ratchet-wheel 10 on thejournal of the drum 4. Thus rotation of the shaft 5 imparts intermittentrotative impulses to the drums in the direction of the arrow win Fig. 1.

The tufting-drum A has radial tuftingtubes 11, Fig. 4, arranged incircumferential series. As here shown, there are nine tubes in a series;but this is not important so long as they are properly spaced fortufting. The number of series of these tubes will depend on the lengthof the drum and the width of the fabric made. Between these tubes, bothlaterally and circumferentially, the surface of the drum is formedconcave, so as to mold the surface of the stuffed fabric.

The drum B is a cylinder and has clenching-anvils 12 in its peripheryarranged in series to correspond with the ends of the tufting-tubes 11as the drums rotate intermittently.

Fig. 1 shows the base fabric 00, the filling material y, the top fabrica, and the completed tufted fabric X as it emerges from the machine.

In order to shape the materials as they enter between the drums, theconstruction now to be described may be employed. The base fabric a; isdrawn over the bed or table 2 and into the bite of the drums, and thefilling material is placed thereon as needed. The top or cover fabric isled in from a roll 13 in a frame 14, passing about and between an idler15 and a roll 16, driven by gears from the drum A. On the table or bed 2is a shaper for the filling, comprising a frame 17, connected at one endto the main frame at 18. In this frame are rotatively mounted two rolls19 and 20, formed as seen in Fig. 2-that is, each has a series ofcircular disks, which are alined with the respective series of tubes 11on the drum A, and concave spaces between the respective disks. drivenby gearing from one of the drums, and about the two rolls is an endlessapron 21, of canvas or other suitable fabric. This apron takes somewhatthe shape of the drums 19 The roll 20 is and 20, and the former shapesand molds the filling as it passes to the drums to receive the buttons.

The buttons I), each of which has two prongs 5 p, are fed automaticallyto the tubes 11 of the tufting-drum by means that will now be described,premising that ordinarily each button has its head covered with plush orsome soft material of a similar character.

The inclined button-tracks 22 are situated above the drum A and alinedwith the respective series of tubes 11. The buttons are supplied byhand'and slide down the track, their prongs projecting upward through aslot in the cover of the track, as seen in Fig. 6. The track ends over atube 11, and a plunger 23 presses the button down head first into thetube to the proper extent. The plungers 23 are actuated at the propertimes by cams 24 on the main shaft 5 through the medium of levers 25,each bearing a roller 26, which rests on a cam 24, and rods 27, whichextend up and are coupled to arms 28, fixed to the opposite ends of arock-shaft 29, which has on it arms 30,to which the respective plungers23 are 'tures 31, which are bridged by the anvils and which are bypreference circular, and the anvils are set in or below the outersurface of the drum B to an extent sufficient to allow room in therecess for a washer 32, of leather, felt, or other suitable penetrablematerial.

The means for placing the washers in their recesses over the anvils 12will now be described with-especial reference to Fig. 4.

Supported on the frame of the machine and alined with the severalcircumferential series of washer recesses 31 are tubular washermagazines or holders 33, each provided with a plunger or follower 34 andspring 35. The spring and follower keep the washers pressed up to theface of the drum B, and when the latter is intermittently rotated itstops with a series of the recesses 31 coincident or in register withthe magazine 33, so that a washer is pressed from each magazine into arecess. The rotation of the drum brings these washerfilled recesses tothe button receiving and clenching point at the top of the drum. Thereare now presented at this point a series of buttons b in the tubes 11,situated above the fabric, and washers 32, under the fabric andregistering with the tubes 11, each washer overlying an anvil 12. Theseries of buttons 1) are now driven downward, their prongs 19 passingthrough the fabrics z and a; and

through the washers 32, this being effected by ated by rods 39, coupledat their lower ends to crank-pins 40 on the cams 24.

Simultaneously with the driving down of the buttons through the fabricand the spreading of their prongs on the anvils in the drum B clenchingdevices for said prongs are operated upward by mechanism now to bedescribed.

Aclenching-bar 41 extends through the hollow or tubular journals of thedrum B and plays in guides 42 on the frame, and on this bar are fixed aseries of forked clenchingplungers 43, Figs. 7, 8, and 9, the branchesof which pass up at each side of the anvil 12 and clench the prongsp ofthe button onto the washer. The bar 41 is actuated simultaneously withthe bar 37 by means of the cams 24, levers 25, rollers 26, and rods 44,which extend up from the levers 25 to the respective ends of theclenching-bar.

Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate a slightly different form of the clenchingdevice. In this modification the branches 43 of the clenching-plungersare hinged, so that they may spread apart in clenching, being heldagainst spreading by a U-spring 43.

Obviously the ratchet feeding device, which rotates the drums A and Bintermittently, will be set to operate when the button setting andclenching devices are at rest.

The washers may be filled into the magazine 33 by drawing back thefollower 34 and inserting them in front of the latter. There may be akeeper-shield 45 about the drum B above the magazines to insure againstthe placed washers being dislodged.

The hollow journals of the drums A and B are made large in order toafford strength and rigidity to resist the heavy strain put on thesedrums in the operation of tufting and to provide room for operating theplungers for driving and clenching the buttons wholly inside of thedrums, thus avoiding a long stroke of the plungers. As these latter mustwithdraw clear of the drum, so that the latter may rotate, it is foundin practice that the strain on the drum is apt to throw it out of linewith the plungers when the latter have a long stroke and passdiametrically through the drum from above, as in some forms of thesemachines.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A machine for makingtufted fabrics comprising a bed to support the material, a tufting-drumabove said bed, a clenching-drum below the bed, means for impartingintermittent rotary impulses to said drums in unison, means extendingthrough the hollow or tubular journals of the tufting-drum for drivingthe button-prongs through the fabrics, means extending through thehollow or tubular journals of the clenching-drum for clenching theprongs of the buttons as they are driven, and the said tubular journalsof the drums, substantially as set forth.

2. A machine for making tufted fabrics com prising a bed to support thematerial, a tufting-drum above said bed, a clenchingdrum below the bed,means for imparting intermittent rotary impulses to said drums inunison, means extending through the hollow or tubular journals of thetufting-drum for driving the bu tton-pron gs through the fabrics, meansextending through the hollow or tubular journals of the clenching-drumfor clenching the prongs of the buttons as they are driven, the saidtubular journal of the drums, and means for feeding the buttonsautomatically to the radial tubes of the tn fting-dru m,substantially asset forth.

3. A machine for making tufted fabrics comprising a bed to support thematerial, a tufting-drum above said bed, a clenching-drum below the bed,means for imparting intermittent rotary impulses to said drums inunison, means extending through the hollow or tubular journals of thetuftingdrum for driving the button-prongs through the fabrics, meansextending through the hollow or tubular journals of the clenching-drumfor clenching the prongs of the buttons as they are driven, the saidtubular journals of the drums, and means for supplying washers towasher-recesses in the clenching-drum at the clenching-points,substantially as set forth.

4. A machine for making tufted fabrics comprising a bed to support thematerial, a tufting-drum above said bed,-a clenching-drum below the bed,means for imparting intermittent rotary impulses to said drums inunison, means extending through the hollow or tubular journals of thetufting-drum for driving the button-prongs through the fabrics, meansextending through the hollow or tubular j ournals of the clenching-drumfor clenching the prongs of the buttons as they are driven, the saidtubular journals of the drums, means for feeding the buttonsautomatically to the radial tubes of the tufting-drum, and means forsupplying washers to washer-recesses in the clenching-drum at theclenching-points, substantially as set forth.

5. A machine for making tuft-ed fabrics comprising a bed to support thematerial, a tufting-drum with hollow or tubular journals above said bed,a clenching-drum with hollow or tubular journals below the bed, meansfor imparting intermittent rotary impulses to said drums in unison,means extending through the hollow or tubular journals of thetufting-drum for driving the button-prongs through the fabrics, meansextending through the hollow 'or tubular journals of the clenching-drumfor clenching the prongs of the buttons as they are driven, whereby thedrum rotates independently of the bar,and a former for the material,consisting of the frame 17, the forming-rollers 19 and 20, adapted torest on the material and having substantially the form shown, and theendless apron 21, substantially as set forth.

6. In a machine for making tufted fabrics,

the combination with the hollow tufting-drum provided with alongitudinal row of tubes and with large, tubular journals, of the bar37 extending through said journals from end to end of the drum, theplungers 36 on said bar and adapted to enter the tubes in the saidlongitudinal row on the drum, means for ac tuating said plungers, and aclenching-drum under and rotating in unison with said tufting-drum,substantially as set forth.

7. In a machine for making tufted fabrics, the combination with thehollow tufting-drum, its hollow journals, and means within the same fordriving the buttons, of the hollow clenching-drum B, having in itsperiphery anvils 12, the bar 41, extending through the said drum and itsjournals and provided with forked clenching-plungers, the hollowjournals of the drum-B, and means for operating said plungers,substantially as set forth.

8. In a machine for making tufted fabrics, the combination with meansfor driving the prongs of the buttons down through the fabric, of thesupporting-drum 13, having spreading-anvils 12, and washer-recesses 31,means for clenching the prongs of the buttons,means for intermittentlyrotating said drum, and means for automatically supplying washers tosaid washer-recesses, substantially as set forth.

9. In a machine for the purpose specified, the combination with thelower, anvil-drum B, provided with recesses to receive the washers, andmeans for rotating said drum, of the washer magazines 33, each arrangedwith its delivery end next the drum and provided with a follower andspring, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination with the anvil-drum, of the tufting-drum, havingradial tubes 11, of the button-track 22, adapted to supply the buttonspoint uppermost, the plungers 23, mechanism for operating said plungerswhen the drum is at rest, and mechanism for rotating the drums togetheralternately with the operations of the plungers, substantially as setforth.

11. A machine for tufting fabrics, having ahollow tufting-drum providedwith radiallyprojecting tubes, means for supplying buttons to the tubesthereof at their outer ends, means for driving the said buttons,situated within the drum and extending out through the hollow journalsthereof, and said hollow journals, substantially as set forth.

12. A machine for tufting fabrics, having an inter-mittently-rotating,hollow, clenchingdrum, provided with spreading-anvils arranged in seriesand adapted to be brought successively to the clenching-point by therotation of said drum, and means for driying and clenching the buttons,substantially as set forth.

13. A machine for tufting fabrics, having a tufting-drum, means forrotating said drum IIO for driving the pronged buttons carried by saiddrum, a supporting and clenching drum adjacent to said tnftingdrum,means for rorating the clenching-drum continuously by intermittentimpulses, and means for clenching the prongs of the buttons,substantially as set forth.

14. A machine for making tufted fabrics in a continuous manner, having arotating tufting-drum and a supporting-drum which rotates in unison withsaid tufting-drum, substantially as set forth.

15. The combination with the rotating supporting and clenching drum B,having re cesses to receive washers, and means for supplying Washers tosaid recesses as the drum rotates, of the shield 45, to keep the washersfrom escaping from the said recesses, substantially as set forth.

16. In an upholstering-machine, in combination, a supporting-frame, twoupholsteringrollers journaled thereon and adapted to pass theupholsteringmaterials between them, and holding mechanism for the meansfor secur in g together the materials to be upholstered.

17. In an upholstering-machine, in combination, a supporting-frame, twoupholsteringrollers journaled thereon, and adapted to pass theupholstering materials between them, and a holder on one of saidrollers, for the means for securing together the materials to beupholstered.

18. In an upholstering-machine, in combination, asupporting-frame, twoupholsteringrollers journaled thereon, and adapted to pass theupholstering materials between them, holding mechanism for the means forsecuring together the materials to be upholstered, and means forrotating said npholsteringrollers.

19. In an upholstering-machine, in combination, asupporting-frame, twoupholsteringrollers journaled thereon, and adapted to pass theupholstering materials between them, holding mechanism forabutton-staple, means for clenching said button-staple, and means forrotating said upholstering-rollers.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 28th day ofFebruary, 1900, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN K ASCHENBACI'I.

Witnesses:

DoN A. GILBERT, Jr., CHRISTIAN E. SPoERL.

